Podcast Summary

Best Friends with Nicole Byer & Sasheer Zamata
Episode: Nicole Loves the Avatar Whales
Release Date: December 24, 2025
Network: Headgum

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode features Nicole and Sasheer diving into holiday plans, the joys and oddities of movies (especially the new Avatar!), quirky daily routines (like Nicole’s newfound commitment to lotion), intergenerational friendships, neighborly awkwardness, and a delightfully absurd "What Kind of Vehicle Are You?" personality quiz. The hosts also answer heartfelt listener queries about friend breakups and overcoming fear of flying, blending real-life wisdom with their signature warmth and comedic flair.

Key Discussions & Insights

1. Holiday Plans & Family Visits

(00:32–01:30)

• Nicole pivots quickly from asking about Thanksgiving to Christmas plans.
• Sasheer plans to visit her mom and family in Indiana and laments the lack of exciting activities there compared to LA.
  • "I like planning activities when she's here. And I was like, I'll plan stuff for us to do in Indiana. And I have yet to find anything to do." — Sasheer (01:00)
• They brainstorm movies as a solution; upcoming Avatar sequel comes up.

2. Nicole’s Avatar Premiere Adventure

(01:36–05:25)

• Nicole attended the Avatar premiere with elaborate set pieces (an "A" on fire for “Fire and Ash”) and James Cameron’s introduction.
  • Nicole mistakenly thought Miley Cyrus was in the film but she only sang a song on the soundtrack, resulting in three hours of Nicole searching for Miley among the Na'vi.
    • "I kept leaning over to that nice man in my life going, is that Miley Cyrus? And he was like, I don't know." — Nicole (01:47)
• The hosts debate the merits of the film’s whale poetry interlude.
  • Sasheer: “So we’re just playing with whales? Like, we gotta move on.”
  • Nicole: "I fundamentally disagree with you. It was one of my favorite parts… There's a solid 20 minutes where we're just having a nice time. Whales are doing poetry." (03:27–03:40)
• Nicole gleefully teases returning whale characters and “whale council.”

3. Motion Capture and Humiliating Acting Jobs

(05:25–08:47)

• Both discuss fascination with mo-cap acting. Sasheer once did motion capture for NBA 2K, but her role was minor (“the PR person for the main kid”).
  • "That's really funny to be like, I can't wait to do motion capture. And they're like, hey, you're in an office." — Nicole (07:25)
• Discussion segues to video games, specifically “Hollow Knight” and its charming bug characters.

4. The “Lotion Discourse” Goes Viral

(10:40–14:01)

• Nicole recounts going viral for admitting she doesn’t use lotion; millions saw the clip and commenters dubbed her “ashy ass.”
  • “2 million people know I don't use lotion. And they're being really hard on me.” — Nicole (11:07)
• She’s now integrating lotion into her life, leading to reflection on the irony that lotion dependency has made her feel drier after skipping it.
• Sasheer jokes about “Big Lotion” having “got to all y’all.”

5. Clues, Calendar Notes & Everyday Mysteries

(14:01–15:55)

• Nicole has a habit of writing cryptic calendar notes she can’t later decipher, which both find hilarious and mysterious.
  • “I remember the date… I wrote, ‘sit in Sasheer’s seat for heat.’ And we still don't know what that means.” — Nicole (14:21)
• Sasheer advises using calendar note sections for full explanations.

6. Random Humor: Eye Issues & Ben Stein

(15:55–18:14)

• Nicole’s watery eye leads to a tangent about Ben Stein, “the clear eyes man,” and their mutual disinterest in finishing “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

7. Old Friends, Intergenerational Relationships, and Decor Inspiration

(26:17–32:08)

• Sasheer and Nicole reminisce about friendships with older people. Nicole tells a fond story about Ms. Arletha, whose unique 1970s blaxploitation-style house inspired Nicole’s decor today, and who made Nicole peanut butter and tomato sandwiches without judgment.
  • "I remember I would just play with her things and ask her questions about the house." — Nicole (26:35)
• Both discuss the value of intergenerational friendships and imagine alternative retirement living setups fostering community.

8. Family Legacy and Trades

(31:04–33:28)

• Nicole’s blunt grandpa once stated, “my bloodline stops with you,” reflecting anxieties about family legacy.
• The hosts riff on the idea of passing down trades and skills, acknowledging most people (themselves included) don’t follow in family footsteps.

9. Handwriting, Lemons, and Neighborliness

(33:28–36:08)

• Brief reflection on the dying art of handwriting.
• Nicole is plotting to write a letter to her neighbor, requesting lemons — they consider awkwardness vs the potential of neighborhood friendship.

10. Quiz Segment: “What Kind of Vehicle are You?”

(36:41–56:15)

• Nicole and Sasheer take a ridiculous vehicle personality quiz submitted by a listener, navigating surreal DMV scenarios including portals, stegosauruses, and a morose dragon.
• Both respond honestly and humorously to off-the-wall prompts, debating responses and outcomes.
  • “I’m a Hot Wheels and you’re a race car.”
  • “How? All my answers were trepidatious. I feel like I should be a Corolla!” — Sasheer (54:17)

11. Listener Questions

Friend Breakups: (58:33–65:17)

• Listener asks about abrupt friend breakups and lack of closure.
• Both hosts mostly experience slow fades, but empathize with loss without closure.
  • “Your friendship should feel good, also your romantic relationship should feel good.” — Nicole (62:40)
• They suggest one direct outreach for closure, but acceptance after that.
  • “If they don’t respond, that is a response.” — Nicole (63:14)
• Both share stories of not matching effort with friends, highlighting value in honest expectations and communication.

Fear of Flying: (65:22–74:28)

• Listener Megan shares severe plane anxiety worsened by turbulence/travel.
• Sasheer’s tip: Realize turbulence can’t knock down a plane and look out the window for reassurance.
  • “The wind is not powerful enough to knock us out of the sky.” — Sasheer (67:03)
• Nicole leans on magical thinking (“everyone has to believe we’ll be fine”) and knows she’d survive a crash as a running gag.
• Both suggest sleeping on flights, consuming comforting content, and bringing grounding routines onboard.
  • “Whatever calms you on land, bring it to the sky.” — Sasheer (71:37)
• They swap stories of genuinely harrowing travel moments and Nicole’s unflappable calm in emergencies.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nicole on Avatar whale scenes (03:27):
  “I fundamentally disagree with you. It was one of my favorite parts of the movie. And when I tell people about it, I'm like, There's a solid 20 minutes where we're just having a nice time. Whales are doing poetry.”

• Nicole on viral lotion shame (11:07):
  “2 million people know I don't use lotion. And they're being really hard on me.”

• Sasheer on cryptic notes (14:21):
  “I wrote, ‘sit in Sasheer’s seat for heat.’ And we still don't know what that means.”

• Nicole on peanut butter & tomato sandwiches (27:23):
  “She would make me peanut butter and tomato sandwiches, which are disgusting...When I was little, I loved them, and kids would make fun of me in school... But Ms. Arletha didn’t judge me.”

• Sasheer on vehicle quiz outcome (54:17):
  “I feel like all my answers were pretty trepidatious. I should be a Honda Corolla. A Honda Corolla! That was humiliating.”

• On friend breakups (63:14):
  “If they don’t respond, that is a response.” — Nicole

• On flight anxiety (67:03):
  “The wind is not powerful enough to knock us out of the sky.” — Sasheer

• Nicole’s magical thinking (68:13):
  “Everyone on this plane believes that we're gonna make it, so we're gonna do it.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment / Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 00:32 | Holiday plans and family activities | | 01:36 | Nicole’s Avatar premiere story | | 05:25 | Motion capture acting stories | | 10:40 | Lotion discourse goes viral | | 14:01 | Nicole’s mysterious calendar notes | | 26:17 | Childhood intergenerational friendships | | 31:04 | Legacy, bloodlines, trade talk | | 33:28 | Handwriting and lemon neighbor plots | | 36:41 | Absurd “What Kind of Vehicle Are You?” quiz | | 58:33 | Listener Q: Abrupt friend breakups | | 65:22 | Listener Q: Fear of flying |

Tone & Language

The episode is lighthearted, honest, frequently offbeat, and always marked by Nicole and Sasheer’s chemistry — playful confidences, absurdist humor, and moments of unexpected wisdom.

Useful for Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This summary encapsulates the episode’s major topics, the hosts’ personalities, and the flavor of their banter — from pop culture gab and personal quirks to life’s trickier questions and how to joyfully muddle through. You’ll get relatable tips on moisturizing, comfort for friendship loss, and the knowledge that if chaos hits, Nicole will definitely keep her cool (even if she hits your car while parallel parking).